


No One's The Same as They Used To Be

by CatnipInvader



Series: No One Is Alright And I Guess We Can Work With That [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Running away from your problems, apologys that get turned into flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21816046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatnipInvader/pseuds/CatnipInvader
Summary: after injuring Roxy while having a panic attack Porrim decides a little time away from the bulk of the group may be a good thing, while also trying to remind Cronus of just how many people might actually give a crap about him.
Relationships: Cronus Ampora/Mituna Captor/Latula Pyrope, Cronus Ampora/Porrim Maryam, Feferi Peixes/Meenah Peixes, mentioned:
Series: No One Is Alright And I Guess We Can Work With That [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/144363
Kudos: 3





	No One's The Same as They Used To Be

“please pardon my moirail, he’s going through a rather messy breakup” Porrim says as she guides Cronus through the airport metal detector. The attendant nods knowingly and lets the two pass through. Apparently disheveled highbloods make people nervous. At least incredibly prim (acting) midbloods can diffuse most situations. 

“hey you didn’t have to say that” Cronus stops and puts his hand over hers on his wrist. There’s no reason for her to say something like that, he’s been nothing but an asshole to her and everyone else he knew for basically his entire life. These past few months have been absolutely nerve wracking, Porrim suddenly deciding he needed her was enough of a shock.

“what do you mean.”

“that I’m your moirail” they’re kind of blocking the flow of traffic theres a lady behind him with like three kids and two grubs all of which are crying in a manner that reminds Cronus of how he used to cry when he was hungry, he starts to move forward. Porrim holds him firmly in place.

“cronus, you really think _I_ of all the fucking people you know would lie about how _I_ feel”

“no but, wait you actually?”

“yes you moron” She collects thier things and drags him over to an unpopulated bank of chairs.

“you aren't mad at me for hurting Roxy?”

“I am but I understand that it was an accident, and at least you didnt cause her to go deaf, its just a few bruises and a cast. What I’m really pissed at you about is that you didnt ask for any help when you knew something was wrong.” She crosses her arms 

“I didnt know anyone would help me, Roxy was trying”

“yeah and she helped with you being a creep” she purses her lips before continuing “she, like most humans, is delicate. And shes not the Lalonde with the psych degree, even though I dont think that’d help much either.”

“I thought I could manage”

“you scared the shit out of me! fucking hell cronus you scared Mituna and Latula too!” She pushes him down into a chair. She wants to mention that its everyone thats worried, but knows that he'd be far too overwhelmed to hear it. Her anger and worry is plastered across her face and shes so worked up about his dumbself thats she’s glowing. Cronus has never found her prettier.

“you know you’re really pretty right now Por”

“Cronus this is the exact opposite of how I need you to react”

“no like not in a sexual way or anything you’re just really really pretty and you’re terrifying and I would be honored to have you at my back.”

“Cronus you sappy fuck, I would be as well, but I need you to focus.”

“on the fact that I scared Mit and ‘Tula?”

“yes”

“I need to apologize, I’ve needed to for the whole time we’ve been out of the game, can I use your phone?”

“no you can wait until we’re in Hawaii”

“Please? I need to check on Roxy and say I’m sorry to them and-” Porim puts her hand over his mouth.

“no one is going to let her pick up her phone if it’s me or you, and it can wait you can figure out just how you want to apologize, okay, it’s time to board”

“fine” He sulks as they walk up to the gate and through into thier seats Porrim insists he sits on the aisle, so if he wants to sleep he’ll be forced to lean on her.

“hey, you tired?” she shoulder bumps him as take-off starts.

“no just, can I hold your hand?”

“scared of flying big boy?” she holds out her hand to him and he latches onto it like he might die if he doesnt.

“no” his knuckles go white from holding onto her.when they are finally in the air Porrim peels his fingers off of hers.

“you want a drink or anything?”

“no, just want to be off this plane.” he yawns.

“go to sleep it’ll go faster.” she pull his head onto her shoulder. He’s really glad of his horns having grown back in, the jagged edges would have cut her.he falls asleep with his cheek smashed against her shoulder, and wakes up to Porrim's face smushed against the top of his head as she snores quietly, Shes leaned over the armrest to wrap him in a very tight hug, this would all be very endearing if he hadn't had to pee quite so bad.

“Por” he shakes her arm “Porrim” he shakes his head “Porrrriiiiiim I gotta peee” She wakes up and laughs and lets him go.

“go pee you dork” 

“so what are we doing when we get there?” he says as he sits back down.

“well we’re  _ supposed _ to be going to Meenah's apartment, but she really isn't going to be very helpful.”

“yeah”

“So I thought that we could rent one of those cute houses on the shoreline and stay there until everythings all worked out.”

“sounds good to me”

***

“Latula, hello dear”

“sup Pornstar” Latulas face fills Porrim's screen as she leans into greet her.

“Nothing much” Porrim smiles at Latula. she can be so ridiculous sometimes.

“Hows Crow holdin up.” she makes a face, somewhere between concern and anger.

“He doesnt like planes”

“Oh em gee, what a dorkk”

“Hey, I’m not that bad.”

“uh huh, you wanna take over now I know you wanted to talk.”

“uh yeah sure.” Cronus sits and waves at Latula “Hey”

“you wanted to talk to me”

“and Mituna, and its more like apologize until my face goes numb” Latula does her best to not be surprised at the seriousness of Cronuss’ tone nor the implications of him having used someone's full name.

“alright go ahead.”

“can I talk to Mituna first?”

“why”

“I know exactly what I need to say to him, you on the other hand, I need to say a lot more and I dont have the courage to start with you.” he looks sheepishly down at his hands and wonders if Porrim has any barley tea around.

“MT line for you”Latulas face disappears from the screen and Mituna's pops up.

“What doo youuu want” Mituna squints at the screen in very convincing mock suspicion.

“to say sorry” cronus ducks his head.

“Oh, huh” Mituna stops squinting.

“yeah I, was a disgusting creep to you for millennia and I didnt ever listen to you when you told me to stop. I’m sorry I did that, I’m sorry for all the gross things I said to you. I was angry and alone, but that doesnt give me an excuse. I missed being your friend and I still do, but I know now that your comfort is more important than my happiness. yeah I think thats all I wanted to say, theres probably more, but I cant remember” as soon as he’s said it he realized he probably used to many I statements for that to be an actual workable apology. Can’t take back the word salad now Cronus.

“Crobro I get it, yeah that was total shit and I was really fucking angry at you for it,but it feels so dumb now keeping those grudges, I wasn't myself, and we were stupid kids with no way to grow out of our childish bullshit. you’ve proven since we all got out of that stupid piece of shit game that you’re capable of not being an asshole, but not that youre capable of not being an idiot. hell look at me getting out of the game gave me most of my headspace back! I can like make whole sentences now, and kick everyones ass at games all the time, and I can use my psionics again its so fucking cool!” he picks up some pens and floats them aound “its been almost two years now anyway I accept your apology and offer my own”

“Mituna no I dont need one it was my crap that caused our problems”

“yeah that escalated them but, me being a self sacrificing asshat sort of started it.”

“ugh fine we both fucked up”cronus's head hit the table hes fucked up his apologies already, he forgot to say anything about the most recent mess up.

“yeah we did” Mituna smiles goofily at the camera “Hey Cro do you know when you’ll be back?”

“no” Cronus mumbled into the table.

“whatever when you get back I’m kicking your ass at call of duty”

“wait”Cronus sits up”what”

“me you COD dumbass”

“uh, cool” Cronus gapes at Mituna.

“you still wanna talk to Tula yeah?”

“yeah………..”

“TUUUUUUUULAAAAAAA”

“overkill much, babe?”

“Cro wants to chat.” Mituna gets up and Latula sits back down

“spill jerk wad.”

“I’m sorry, for everything, all of it, theres an almost never ending list of shit I did wrong to you and Mituna and I know I’ll never actually make up for it or anything, and I just needed to tell you that I get how much of an asshole I was then, and how creepy I was, and there is no excuse or explanation and I dont expect anything from you, and I really dont need to be friends with either of you ever again.” too many I statements again jerkwad.

“yep, you definitely were all those things.” latula plops her chin on her hand “and no I dont have to, but I want to, so I'm going to, and you are going to like it.”

“huh”

“yep, and I have a secret for you”

“Latula I really dont want you doing this because you think you have to because Mituna said he would”

“Nah I’m doing this because I have ulterior motives”

“okay”

“yeeeeepp so wanna know that secret?”

“you’re going to keep going on about it if don’t say yes aren’t you.”

“duh, so the secret is that I missed you too, yeah you were stupid and annoying and creepy but that happened because we were destined to get all messed up by the game, and do you remember when we were reallllllyyyyy little and me you and MT would play those dumb games? that was awesome. and then we all found out what dating was and Mituna and I paired up, and you got all weird and grumpy, I guess you didnt realize that there were like a zillion ways you could have fit along with us, and we were waiting for you, and then the game happened and Tuna got hurt and all that time where we were angry with each other. but now here we have all this space and all these people it’s great!”

“uh-huh” Cronus nods as Latula talks more and more excitedly.

“I have another secret for you” She looks him right in the eye “you listening?”

“yes I am, you want to be friends again because we’ve all grown up a little”

“yep, but you’re missing a piece! a very important piece!” Latula slams her hands on her desk “We liked you when we were kids!”

“and I liked you guys too back then”

“what about now?”

“I guess, but do I really get to act on those-”

“YES YOU DO YOU DUMBASS!” she shouts at him and rolls her eyes “ want to know the second secret?”

“sure” he still wants to protest them being kind.

“sometimes when Mit and I are pailing he’ll call out your name all sad and needy. it breaks my pusher man, really it does.” she flashes a toothy grin at him “ so when you get back I’m going to kiss you so damn hard, right in your stupid fishy face, my kiss is going to be why Tuna kicks your butt. He totally won’t need me to do that but itll be so much fun.”

“What, you cant possibly mean that”

“yeah I can, its my feelings and my body so as long as you're okay with it I’m going to kiss you, maybe a lot, because someday I want to see your face when Mituna trills your name, its pusher shattering dude, hes so cute” Latula finishes and Mituna pops his face into camera view to wink and give a thumbs up.

“I’m so on board” Mituna says.

“uh I wow”

“I think we broke him”Latula says to Mituna.

“awesome”Mituna says back.

“Okay I think I am having some sort of bad trip.” Cronus thunks his head back onto the table, not what he expected at all, he just wanted to say sorry.

“nah I think I’d know if that was the case.” Latula winks.

“okay so what is this”

“Growing up and not being an asshole, because somebody showed you how.”

“you’re still dumb tho”Mituna mumbles around a handful of popcorn “you knew you needed more help than what RX could give you, yet you just let it get worse.” he’s sitting on Latulas lap and leaning into the screen.

“that was really dumb man” Latula says stealing some of Mituna's popcorn.

“yeah Por told me. she also said I scared you guys, I didn't really believe it, but I do now sort of, still a bit in shock.”

“ha man you’re one to talk, I was expecting to wait another thousand sweeps to get that apology, I’m in shock over that shit”mituna cackles at the end the smirks over his shoulder at Latula.Latula dagger smiles at cronus.“alright dude I need to know just how you feel about the thing”

“what thing I oh, that thing, I guess I would be really more than okay with it” Cronus stumbles all over himself, he’s violet from eyebrows to chin.

“you gained one date!”Latula laughs at her own joke so hard Mituna falls off her lap. Cronus goes violet from hairline to shirt collar.

“Cronus I think we may need to order out.” Porrim walks into Mituna and Latula's view, looking like she may have just lit something on fire.

“okay, do we have any take out menus?” he turns to look up at her.

“try the phone book, I’ve yet to collect any.”

“hey guys I’m gonna go figure out what I want for dinner or whatever meal this should be.”

“breakfast cronus, breakfast.” Latula pinches the bridge of her nose, man hes a doofus.

“do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?” Porrim asks Latula.

“nah gurrl, always got time for you.”

“so what do you think”

“he really has changed I need to thank Roxy a whole hell of a lot”

“yes we all do, but one girl cant change a person.”

“yeah, unless they want to change, and Cronus obvs wanted to”

“we’ll see,theres still things he could fuck up. we’re supposed to go to the beach with meenah tomorrow.”

“ugh why? she’s still so grumpy all the time, holding onto those grudges and junk, same with Dam, they just need some chill I guess, maybe some raunchy pale action” she wiggles her eyebrows.

“yeah they probably do, but honestly Damara can be as angry as she wants until she gets an apology, that was crap what Rufio did, her and I worked out some stuff the other day. Also I think Feferi and Meenah are doing some sort of pale thing. Anyway, I'm really glad we can all heal now, it’s been too long since we were all happy.”

“fucking seconded sister” Latula smiles at Porrim “so why are you going to the beach with Meen tomorrow?”

“oh yeah, she wants to make sure Cronus has actually changed, so she’s probably going to try to rile him up. I dont really want to let that happen, but we both know how Meenah is.”

“pushy as hell but also pretty cool at the same time?”

“yeah, our brilliant leader”Both girls laugh until their sides hurt.

“we are all so messed up.”

“yeah”

“Porrim I think I found what I want” Cronus says from somewhere in the kitchen.

“be right there Cronus, have a good day Tulip”

“you too Porrim.” 


End file.
